Recap: New Zealand vs Ireland LIVE | Rugby World Cup
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the World Cup quarter-final match between New Zealand versus Ireland in Tokyo. Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).
All Blacks young guns Jack Goodhue and Anton Lienert-Brown have been backed to provide the firepower to shoot down Ireland. Steve Hansen has opted to go with the 24-year-olds for Saturday’s clash over more experienced campaigners Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty.
New Zealand assistant coach Ian Foster admits it was a tough call, especially with double World Cup winner Williams back on top form. But Hansen’s right-hand man is confident that Crusaders protege Goodhue and Chiefs midfielder Lienert-Brown are the men to unlock Joe Schmidt’s team.
He said: “We’ve always had a plan in mind to some degree, but it’s how you train and how you play that have also got a major say in selection. It’s one thing for coaches to have a long-term plan but we have got to assess that weekly.
“So it’s been a tough decision in midfield and it’s a tough decision not so much who to put in but who to leave out. We would have been quite happy with all four of them in those 12 and 13 jerseys. We just felt for this game that Anton is playing really well at the moment, full of energy.
(Continue reading below…)
“Jack has come back from a hamstring and has got back to the level we know he can play at. We like the combination but at the same time we have got Sonny there and he is probably playing the best I have seen him play for 12 to 18 months. There is a lot of energy there too.
“And Ryan did a great job against South Africa, so we have got some good choices. But for whatever reason we just think these two for this one. We think they can get us off to a great start.”
New Zealand are on the hunt for their third straight World Cup title and fourth overall. Ireland, on the other hand, have never made it past the quarter-finals but Foster admits past experiences will not make it any easier for his team as they come up against a side that have come out on top in two of their three previous meetings.
Ireland name a strong team for Saturday. #IRLvsNZL #RugbyWorldCup #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/4559bmzvi3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 17, 2019
He said: “We’ve been here before and we have handled those moments. I guess Ireland have been in a lot of quarter-finals too. Knock-out rugby is about fronting up on the day and executing under that sort of pressure. We have been there but it doesn’t make it any easier just because you have the knowledge of what is at stake.”
Sam Whitelock was one of the All Blacks’ heroes of both their 2011 and 2015 triumphs. He admits challenges like Saturday’s are the reason he first picked up a ball as a child. The 31-year-old lock said: “These games are why we play rugby. These games are the ones when you are a little kid in the back yard you dream about.
“You always wanted to take the winning drop goal – but I don’t think that will be me. That’s the cool thing for us as players and coaches – we are getting to live those dreams, those wet, cold days when you are told to go outside because you are annoying mum and dad. We’re getting to live that reality so it’s pretty awesome.”
Sevu Reece would currently be playing club rugby in Ireland but for the court case that led to a contract offer retraction… now he is part of the All Blacks looking to knock Ireland out of the World Cup https://t.co/67BCVKUwg0
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 18, 2019
Schmidt, meanwhile, has backed “big moments player” Peter O’Mahony to deliver again when it matters most in Saturday’s quarter-final. British and Irish Lions flanker O’Mahony has held off the challenge of the in-form Rhys Ruddock to start Ireland’s last-eight battle.
O’Mahony might not top many tackle or carry counts, but head coach Schmidt insisted the 63-cap Munster back row remains vitally important to Ireland’s approach. Asked to appraise O’Mahony’s influence given those statistical anomalies, Schmidt expanded on the talismanic loose forward’s specific role and harked back to a top-level showing in Ireland’s 16-9 win over New Zealand in November.
An excellent record in 75 matches in six years boils down to a single 80 minutes in Tokyo for Joe Schmidt as Ireland go head to head against his native New Zealandhttps://t.co/4ur0hNf9oj
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 18, 2019
“He brings a leadership and experience, and he’s a very effective lineout operator for us,” said Schmidt about O’Mahony. “Part of it is the structure, the way that he ends up across the width of the pitch. He tends to be playing in the wider channels, and therefore he’s not as involved as some of the other players who are closer in.
“I think stats always tell part of the story but they don’t tell the complete picture. And for us, there are things he can add for us that we think will be really important. He saved our bacon the last time we played the All Blacks with an exceptional turn and chase and the long arms that he reached out just to pluck the ball in front of Ben Smith, who really would have scored for certain if Pete hadn’t got back and saved that.
“I think he won two balls on the ground in that game for us as well, and that’s important. So he has been a bit of a big moments player for us; maybe not as many moments but the big moments, they count.”
WATCH: Jim Hamilton previews the New Zealand vs Ireland World Cup quarter-final in the latest episode of Don’t Mess With Jim
Comments on RugbyPass
Who listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
40 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
40 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
39 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
40 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to comments